Someone to Trust
by Fassy01
Summary: Person of Interest is my favorite show on TV right now. I love everyone on it. I was inspired to write a story after last weeks episode. Mainly about J.Reese and D.Carter relationship and how Snow's words would affect Carter.
1. Chapter 1

Carter entered the dark room of her apartment and immediately removed her holster. It made a loud clank as it hit the hardwood table. She unconsciously breathed a deep sigh and walked into her living room. It had been a LONG day to say the least. Carter spent the majority of her day helping Finch locate a missing John before helping John rescue an undercover cop involved in a CIA drug ring. The more time she spent helping Finch and John, the more she realized things weren't quite so black and white when it came to law enforcement. Carter flashed back to John bursting out of the burning trunk exclaiming it was his "lucky day" because she was there to give him a ride. A smile formed on her face and she shook her head as she dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come.

John opened the door to the apartment Finch had rented for him while he was recovering from his encounter with Agent Snow. Usually, John preferred to stay in hotels because they had an internal security system and easy access to multiple exits, but tonight he was glad he had a private place to himself. He liked the idea that no one other than him had been in this place today and he wouldn't have to worry about the traffic in the hallways or noise from other rooms. John instinctively headed to the bathroom and removed his soot covered clothing. "There's $500 dollars down the drain," John said to himself. He stepped into the hot shower and washed the day off him.

Beep! The timer from the microwave brought Carter back to reality. She was so exhausted that she didn't bother cooking for herself aside from heating up a Lean Cuisine. Her son would be gone for the next few days on a school trip so she didn't have to worry about cooking for him. Carter sat on the couch and flipped on the TV. She picked at her Lean Cuisine and leaned back on the sofa to relax. Suddenly she was interrupted by a knock on her door. "Who the hell is knocking on my door at this hour?" she said. Bang, bang, bang, the noise came from her door once again. "I'm coming!" she practically yelled since she was somewhat annoyed that she was being disturbed. Carter opened the door fully aware her side arm was located within her reach should she need it. "John! What are you doing here?" she said. To say Carter was shocked to see John standing in her doorway was an understatement. John walked past her into the apartment and she closed the door behind him. "I need to know you trust me Carter," he said while looking deep into her eyes. "Did you come over here at this hour to ask me that question?" Carter replied with a puzzled look on her face. John simply repeated the question. "Do you trust me Carter?" Jos thought about the question for a minute. This man who she had been chasing for several months had saved her life. She didn't always agree with his business tactics, but she did trust the man. "Yes," Carter said softly. "I need to hear you say it," John replied. "Say what?" Carter asked. Her gut was starting to tell her that something was very wrong here. "That you trust me," John answered. Carter paused for a moment and then said, "Yes, I trust you." "Good," John said as he pulled out his 9 mm and shot her in the head.

Carter awoke with a jolt and she was fairly certain she screamed as she was coming out of the dream. "What the hell was that?" she said to herself. Sweat covered her entire body and she looked at the time on the TV to judge how long she'd been out. Apparently, she fell asleep somewhere before the end of David Letterman and it was now 3am. She got up of the couch and went to the bathroom to splash some cool water on her face. Why did she have a dream about John shooting her in the head? Suddenly, she remembered her earlier conversation with Agent Snow. Snow had told her "John has a tendency to use people, and then, well, discard them. I remember his old partner's funeral like it was yesterday. Good, pretty woman, like you. After he was done with her, not so much." Carter couldn't help wondering if Snow's words had caused her to subconsciously question her trust in John. She tried to put the thought out of her mind as she climbed into her bed and went back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

2008

John Reese walked out of the bar ahead of Cara Stanton. She has surprised him when she showed up at the bar and knew what he was up to. He had been keeping tabs on Jessica after he ran into her at an airport awhile back. Jessica had told him that she was getting married to Peter but John new she still loved him. "Take a risk. Tell me to wait for you and I will," Jessica said to him with tears in her eyes. John had no words. He simply stood there in silence and stared at her. She desperately wanted him to give her a glimmer of hope that they still had a chance at happiness with one another. John couldn't bring himself to answer her. He didn't want her to be waiting around for him while he was over there. Finally, she realized he wasn't going to claim her. "That would take real courage, wouldn't it?" she said before she turned her back and walked away for good.

"I'm glad you took my advice John," Cara said as they made their way back to the safe house. "Snow told you that we're alone here and you could've put yourself at risk by contacting someone from your old life." John knew everything Agent Stanton was saying was true, but he couldn't help himself. Jessica was the only woman he ever loved and it was because of his love for her that he pushed her away. He thought it was easier the way things were now.

Agent Snow was waiting for them in the dimly lit apartment. "Any problems with the package?" Agent Stanton asked. "The package is still secure," Snow answered. "I've got some other business to take care of. I'll be back once the call comes in. Make sure it's ready to go when you get the call," Snow said looking directly at Stanton. "We've got it covered," she said. Snow grabbed his jacket and walked out the door leaving Stanton and Reese alone.

2012

Carter noticed something was up with Fusco. He was being quieter than usual. "Fusco is everything alright," Carter asked. Fusco didn't look up from his desk. "Hey, Fusco you okay?" she asked once again. "Huh, oh… a… hey Carter, when did you get here?" he asked not realizing that she had been standing over him for the last 2 minutes. "I've been here a while. I asked how you are doing. Is something bothering you?" Fusco wanted to tell her the truth. He wanted to tell her that he was worried about being indebted to HR and how dirty he would have to appear to be in order to help John figure out who the real bad guys are. For the first time in years, Fusco didn't want to be a dirty cop. He wanted to do right by his son and give him someone to look up to. "I'm fine Carter. Just had a rough night," Fusco finally answered. Carter thought about prying further, but decided against it and walked over to her desk.

An hour or so later Carter's cell phone rang. It was the phone she had received from John. Lately every time he called her she could feel herself light up like a Christmas Tree. She knew that meant she was becoming too personally involved when it came to Reese, but she wanted to help him and Mr. Finch however she could. "Hello," she answered trying not to give away her excitement. "Hello Detective," the familiar sultry voice said from the other end. "I hope you haven't thought I'd forgotten about you," he continued. "I need you to look into someone for me, can you do that?" John asked. "Yea, what's the name?" Carter replied. "Nathan Ingram. He was a software developer who died a few years ago. I need to learn more about his untimely death. Take the information home with you and I'll pick it up tonight." "Wait a second, you expect me to get this information in less than 24 hours and you plan on picking it up from my apartment? It takes time to go through the proper channels and how the hell do you know where I live?" Carter said with a raised voice. "Well Carter, I suggest you don't go through the proper channels to get your information" John said. Carter could hear the amusement in his voice. "You still didn't answer my question, how do you know where I live?" She asked for a second time. "Someone has to make sure you get home safe once and a while," Reese answered. "I'll see you tonight Carter," John said before hanging up the phone. Carter didn't dare doubt his words. She was sure that he knew where she lived and he'd keep his word when it came to their rendezvous later.

John hung up the phone and smiled. He couldn't help messing with Carter. There was something about the woman that brought out his playful side. He thought about setting up their meeting at the usual coffee shop, but he had to make sure they were alone. John couldn't risk Finch finding out he was researching his former partner Nathan Ingram. Finch had eyes everywhere except Carter's apartment. John had to keep Finch in the dark until he was sure of something he had been suspecting for awhile now. The package from the safe house in 2008, the one that Snow accused of selling something to the Chinese, was really Nathan Ingram and John had handed him over to his death.


	3. Chapter 3

Carter opened the police database link on her PC and typed in _**INGRAM, NATHAN, NEW YORK CITY**_. Reese hadn't given her much to go on, but then again he never did. "150 matches, _great_" Carter said to herself. She ran her search again, but this time added violent crimes as a search term. It cut the results down to 25. Carter scrolled through the list and came across a press release from the New York City Coroner's office about the death of a Nathan Ingram who was the corporate director of a company called ITF. The Coroner's office had ruled the death was accidental.

Agent Snow received a text message. "Change of plans," Snow said to his driver. "Take me to the precinct." What Detective Carter didn't know was that Agent Snow had access to the network in her office. Snow had gone through back channels at the CIA to obtain the rights to track her activity claiming it was a matter of national security. Snow had set up a system to monitor her search terms and alert him when she was searching for something that was tied to CIA business. He was hoping that this would help him catch Reese.

Snow flashed his badge at the desk and breezed past the police officers on duty. Carter could see he was headed straight for her. "Agent Snow, I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you again, but I think we both know that's a lie." She was getting sick of this guy showing up whenever he felt like it. "I know what you're up to Detective. Are you really willing to risk your career to help a man you know nothing about? You seem smarter than that," Snow said with a grin on his face. "I'm really not sure what you are referring to, but even if I was, what makes you so trust worthy?" Carter asked. Snow's expression turned serious. "I warned you Carter. John can appear to be normal on the outside, but on the inside he's far from it. All you'll get by working with him are unanswered questions, a ruined career, and dead. Take my advice and arrest him when you have the chance." "Like I said Agent Snow I have no idea what you are talking about, but thanks for stopping by," Carter replied. Snow gave her a dirty look before turning around and walking out of the precinct. "Jackass!" Carter muttered under her breath.

John spent the day trying to dig up more information on his boss Harold. Lionel had provided him with some valuable information about Harold's previous alias Harold Wren. Finch had used the name when he was a freshman at MIT. It was going to be difficult to have Lionel continue his surveillance of Finch since he would be busy working his way in with the low lives of the NYPD. John really didn't want to pull Carter in on the research part of this unless it was absolutely necessary. He wanted to keep his association with Lionel a secret and involving her could cause a slip up that would expose his connection to Lionel. Time passed by quickly and before long it was time for John to head over to Carter's apartment.

Carter rushed home from work about 20 minutes earlier than usual so she could tidy up her apartment before John showed up. Carter was nervous and she hated that feeling. She wasn't sure why she was nervous but she was. A little after 7:30p there was a knock at her door. She took a deep breath and exhaled before opening the door. "Carter," John said in his usual tone. Joss just stood there for a second unsure of what to do. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" he finally asked. "Oh…yea, sorry. It's been a long day," Carter told him. John walked past her and entered the apartment. "Nice place you've got here Carter," John said. She thought it was funny that he was trying to make small talk with her. "Can I get you anything," she asked as a common courtesy. "I'm good," John said as he sat down on the couch. "So what have you got for me on Nathan Ingram?" Carter pulled out a stack of papers she had obtained from the police database and handed them to John. He skimmed over them quickly. "They ruled his death accidental," John said not sounding surprised. Carter wasn't sure if he was saying it to her or himself so she stayed quiet. She sat down next to him on the sofa. They had never been so close to each other before. It felt almost like a normal relationship to have this man sitting on her sofa in her apartment. "Did you notice the name Wren attached to anything?" John finally asked after several minutes. "No, I didn't," Carter replied. "How about Finch" John asked again. Joss laughed to herself. "What's funny?" John asked her. "Nothing," she said. "Come on Carter, I could use a good laugh," John told her. "Well, it's just that those names you said…Wren and Finch…they are both types of birds." John was quiet for a minute. "Is something wrong?" Carter asked. She noticed that John's expression had changed when she mentioned the birds. "I just can't believe I didn't pick up on it before you said something," John replied. "That S.O.B probably thought he was being so clever. This is why I like you Carter. You're a woman after my own heart." That was the second time John had said something like that to her in the last 72 hours. She loved hearing those words even though she knew it was wrong of her to entertain those thoughts about him.

"Agent Snow paid me a visit today," Carter said trying to distract herself from her thoughts. "He keeps telling me that I shouldn't trust you. He said some things about your former partner and warned me that the same thing would happen to me if I helped you." John's expression turned serious. "Do you trust me Carter?" he asked. Carter was slightly alarmed at the question because it was the one he had asked her in her dream before shooting her. She knew she was awake now, she knew it was real life, and she knew her answer would still be the same as it was in the dream. "Yes," Carter said. "No Joss, you have to say it," John answered. Now she was really alarmed. She wasn't going to lie to him. She would tell him the truth and damn the consequences. "Yes John, I trust you," Carter replied and then closed her eyes for a long second. When she opened them John was sitting directly in front of her. "Good," he said before he leaned in and kissed her.


	4. Chapter 4

Mr. Finch had been trying to get a hold of Mr. Reese for over 2 hours now and he had not called him back. It was unlike John to ignore Finch's calls. Finch had received another number from the machine and he needed to fill John in so they could figure out why that person's number was up. Finch was starting to wonder if Snow had gotten his hands on Reese. "Mr. Reese it's me again. I'm not sure what you are up to but we have another number to take care of. Please call me when you get this." Finch hung up the phone and tried to see if he could pinpoint John's location with his cell phone GPS system. No luck. After several minutes Finch finally gave up and decided he was just going to have to wait until John called him for a change.

John slowly pulled away from Carter. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have…" Joss stopped him by placing her finger to his mouth. "Don't say anything John." He looked at her trying to gage her reaction. The two sat in silence for a minute until a beep from John's cell phone interrupted the quiet. "I've got 3 messages from Finch. I better see what he wants," John said as he rose up of the couch and walked towards the balcony of Carter's apartment. He opened the door and stepped out into the cool night air. The breeze gently hit his face and he was relieved to have a few minutes to think. He had just kissed Jocelyn Carter. It wasn't something that he had planned, but he had done it and now would have to finally admit the feelings he had for her to himself whether he liked it or not.

Carter sat on the sofa in silence as her brain tried to process what had just happened. For weeks now she couldn't get John Reese out of her head. He was there when she woke up and when she went to bed at night. She barely new this man and yet every part of her was screaming to get closer to him, to trust him, to let him break down the walls she had up since Steven had died. Steven had been stolen from her and it had nearly killed her. Ever since the moment she finally pulled herself together, she vowed that she would never let another man consume her like Steven had. Now, standing there on her balcony was John Reese and she could no longer deny the feelings that had been set ablaze in her with his arrival in her life.

2009

Jessica couldn't believe she was finally getting her chance at happiness with John. It was difficult to tell Peter that she wanted a divorce, but she did it knowing that John was there waiting for her. Even when she had been married to Peter, her heart belonged to John. She hailed a cab and threw her bags in the trunk before telling the driver to head to JFK. John would be waiting for her at the airport with two tickets to Paris. France would not extradite John back to America if he was found there so it was one of the safer countries for the two of them to be happy in together. Jessica's cab stopped at a red light. She was so anxious to get to JFK that the seconds she had to wait felt like hours. Suddenly, she noticed two black vans pull up on both sides of the cab. They stopped, trapping the cab between them. The door from one van opened while the driver from the other got out and put tear gas under the hood of the cab. Before Jessica knew what was happening, someone dressed in black grabbed her, put a hood over her head, and threw her into one of the vans. She tried to scream, but smoke from the tear gas filled her lungs and she couldn't breathe. Then there was darkness.

2012

Finch's phone rang. "Mr. Reese, how good of you to call me back after the three voicemails. Glad to see you haven't been killed," Finch said with more than a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Sorry Harold. What do you need?" John replied. Now Finch was worried. He was expecting John to make some kind of sarcastic remark but instead it was straight to business. "John is everything alright?" Finch asked. "I'm fine Finch, just a little tired," John said. "We have a new number. I'm sending the information to your phone as we speak. I need you to start surveillance so we can figure out why the machine identified them," Finch explained. John glanced at the info and told Finch he'd get on it before hanging up the phone.

Carter turned around when she heard the balcony door opening. John was coming back inside. He closed the door with his back to her and then walked towards the couch and sat down once again. The two looked at each other for a moment and then John spoke. "Listen Carter, I just want you to know that I didn't plan this. I didn't expect to show up at your apartment and kiss you, but honestly that was something that I've wanted to do for a long time now…and…I don't regret that it happened." Carter took in his words. John was telling her that he felt the same way about her that she had been feeling about him. John was starting to get worried because Carter wasn't saying anything. "Maybe I should go," he said and stood up to leave. "Damnit Joss, you need to do something or this man is going to leave thinking you don't want him," she said to herself. Carter stood up and grabbed John's arm. "Wait John," she said as she gently raised her hand to his face. She traced her hand along his cheek bone and stared into his glacial blue eyes. This time Joss moved her lips to cover his and John responded by pulling her closer to him. There was no space between them and Carter wished that she could live in this moment forever.

2009

When Jessica awoke her had was still covered. She could tell she was tied to a chair and her mouth was gagged so she couldn't scream. Unsure of why she had been kidnapped, she began to think about the events that brought her here. Swoosh, the bag was pulled off her head and she closed her eyes when the light hit them. Tears began to form from the sudden exposure to the light and her vision was blurred. A man wearing black from head to toe took out a cell phone and snapped a picture of her. Then she saw the man's gun. He lifted it and checked it to make sure a round was in the chamber. She thought about John waiting for her at JFK and the life they had finally planned together. The man stepped closer to her and pulled her head back by her hair. He removed his mask and she quietly sobbed as she realized that she was never going to see John again. Would he think that she had left him? Would he ever find out what happened to her? Why was this happening to her? Jessica didn't have any answers. Her kidnapper interrupted her train of thought. "I bet you're wondering why you're here. Why me? I get that question a lot. Most people that end up here deserve their fate. You don't and I'm sorry for that. I need something that belongs to you and until I free him he'll never be able to do what his country needs of him." Jessica finally understood what was happening. This was about John. She had always been a distraction for him but it wasn't until they finally decided to be together, to leave their lives behind that she became a real problem for his employer.

Agent Snow released his grip on her head and stepped away from the chair. He put his mask back on and picked up his weapon. Jessica began to breathe rapidly. These were going to be the last moments of her life. Tied to a chair, gagged in some where house somewhere thinking of things that might have been. Snow lifted his weapon and fired a single bullet. The bullet struck Jessica between the eyes and ended her life. She slumped forward in the chair. The blood began to run down her face and quickly covered her clothes. Snow took out the cell phone one more time and snapped another picture of Jessica. "I did you a favor John. You're free now."


	5. Chapter 5

Carter slowly pulled away from John. They were both breathless from the kiss they had shared. She wasn't sure how to act. Her brain began to function again and all the thoughts that were popping into her head were making her feel self conscious. John lifted Carter's face up so his eyes met hers. "Don't pull away from me Jos. I know it's complicated, but we will figure this thing out." Carter felt somewhat relieved by his words. John's cell phone buzzed with a new text message. He opened it, not surprised to see it was from Finch. It was the name and address of their new person of interest. John really wished that he didn't have to deal with Finch right at that moment. "Duty calls?" Carter asked already knowing the answer. "Finch's timing is usually better," John said with a shrug. He closed the distance between them and pulled her close to him. "I've got to go but you better believe I will be back," John said smiling. "I'm going to hold you to that," Carter replied. John brought his lips to Carter's one last time before walking out the door. Once he was gone, Carter fell onto the sofa and closed her eyes. She brought her hand up to her mouth and gently touched her lips where John had left his mark. The memory of their kiss would have to sustain her until they saw each other again.

John exited Carter's apartment building and opened the text message from Finch. The name Finch had sent him was for a Miguel Gonzales. Reese still wasn't sure how the machine got its information, but he couldn't argue with results. He began heading downtown to start his surveillance. Reese hoped it wasn't going to take long to figure out why Miguel's number had come up. He had to find out what really happened to Nathan Ingram and he couldn't stop thinking about Carter. Carter had definitely been a distraction for him. When her number had come up he realized just how much of a distraction she had become. He had shot up an auto shop with a grenade launcher and beat the shit out a wife beater who had tried to threaten her. Elias had almost pushed him too far by giving authorization for Carter to be taken out. Reese had nearly thrown that fat, dirty cop off the roof before telling him to let Elias know that permission had been revoked. "Tell Elias if he so much as touches Detective Carter again, I will put him, you, everyone in the ground." Those were his exact words and he meant them.

Reese had made sure Fusco was nicely ingratiated with HR so that he could get closer to Elias. He felt bad that Lionel had been trying to reform himself and he now had to get his hands dirty again but when Reese had chosen Lionel as his "in" it was because Lionel was a dirty cop. It would take time for Lionel to gain the trust of the HR members, but Reese could wait it out. He knew sooner or later Elias was going to show up again and this time he's make damn sure he was ready for him.

2009

John had been waiting over an hour for Jessica to show up at JFK. He knew something was wrong when he'd tried calling her and she didn't answer her phone. At first, he thought that she had maybe changed her mind about going away with him but then he got the text message that changed his life forever. He opened the picture message and saw Jessica slumped over in a chair with blood all down the front of her face. John couldn't breathe. He fell to his knees in the middle of the airport terminal. His body was completely numb and then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Agent Stanton standing above him. "I need you to get up John," she said. Immediately John lunged at her, thinking that she was responsible for Jessica's death. He had his hand around her throat and pushed her up against the wall in a secluded part of the terminal. "You killed her and now I'm going to make you pay," he said. Stanton could barely speak. She mentally kicked herself for not anticipating that John was going to go ape shit when he saw her. Stanton was finally able to choke out a few words. "No, you did." Reese's face changed and he released his grip on Stanton. "What are you talking about?" Reese asked angrily. He released his grip on Stanton's throat so that she could talk. "Did you really think that Snow was just going to let you go John? After everything that you've seen and done for him, you just thought you could walk away?"

"I filed my resignation papers with the CIA. The agency doesn't own me anymore," John replied. Stanton shook her head, "John, you aren't seeing the bigger picture. Snow is off the grid. The work that he does is not acknowledged by the CIA. The work that you did for him is not acknowledged by the agency. He told you that if you got caught here you were alone. The whole reason the agency transferred you with Snow was because they felt you were a liability. The agency wanted to erase you, and that's exactly what they did. You no longer exist."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to review and/or favorite my story. I started this because I really wanted to write a Carter/Reese romance fic, but it has evolved for me into much more than that. A lot of what I write here are the theories I have developed about the show by re-watching episodes. My goal has become to stay as true to the themes of the show as possible. Thank you for being patient and for hopefully enjoying the journey these characters take us on.**_

Reese stopped by his apartment to get some supplies before heading to the last known address for Miguel Gonzales. He changed from his usual suit into a pair of dark wash denim jeans, gray t-shirt, and leather motorcycle jacket. The bottom drawer of his dresser held a case of preferred firearms and ammo. He chose a simple 9mm hand gun and took 4 clips just in case he needed them. Reese grabbed his helmet and headed down to his green Ducati bike. It didn't take him long to find a spot across the street from Miguel's apartment. It was almost midnight and Reese didn't see much movement inside the building. He activated his earpiece and was instantly connected to Finch.

"It's nearly one a.m. Mr. Reese. To what do I owe this pleasure? Has there been a development with Mr. Gonzales?" Finch asked somewhat annoyed that Reese had woken him. "Well, it's nice to talk to you too Finch," Reese retorted amused at his employer's obvious irritation. John thought it was the least he could do since Finch had previously interrupted his time with Detective Carter. Finch however was not amused and waited silently for Reese to get to the point of his late night phone call. "I just wanted to know if you had an apartment number for our number. His building looks to be pretty quiet and I want to try to get eyes on his apartment," Reese continued. "Let me check," Finch replied. The line was quiet for a minute and then Reese could hear the familiar sound of Finch typing away on his computer. "I'm showing the address you're currently at as his last known place of residence with an apartment number of 5E." "Thanks," Reese said. "Oh and Finch, sweet dreams." Reese, with a large smirk on his face, once again pushed on his earpiece to disconnect the call.

Reese spotted a rundown bodega next to the apartment building that looked like he'd be able to break in easily without much risk of setting off a security system. He headed around back to the alley and tried the door. It was locked as he had expected. Reese pulled out his wallet and removed one of the credit cards Harold had given him for "emergency purposes" which he then used to break open the locked door. He entered the back of the dark store and looked for any cameras or alarms. As Reese had suspected the building the bodega was located in was so old that the owner had only bothered to upgrade and place a security system in the front of the store. Reese headed to the stairwell that would take him to roof of the building. Once there he pulled out his night vision goggles and searched for Miguel Gonzales apartment on the 5th floor. He remained there for 2 hours waiting in the darkness to see if the new number made an appearance before deciding to call it a night and try again the following morning.

2009

"We can't talk here John. I need you to come with me. We need to get you to a secure place," Stanton said. John was so out of his mind with rage, he could barely form a complete thought. Stanton knew she had to take the lead and get John to the safe house. There were too many cameras at JFK and she knew better than anyone that there were eyes and ears everywhere. "John," she said again finally regaining Reese's attention, "you need to come with me now. I'll tell you everything you want to know." John simply shook his head yes and quietly follow Stanton as she lead him to the nearest exit. They got into a cab and she gave the driver an address. John didn't hear any of the conversation between her and the driver. The words that came out of her mouth sounded as if he were trying to listen to someone talk underwater. Stanton could tell he was in a state of shock. She also knew that his government training would kick in soon and he'd start to compartmentalize everything that had happened up until a point so that his brain could begin to function on a normal level again. Compartmentalizing was something she herself had been trained in and experienced.

The cab pulled up to the building that Reese and Stanton had been staying in with the package. She got out first and paid the driver. John didn't move from the backseat until she grabbed his arm and guided him out of the car. They entered the now abandoned building and headed up to the 4th floor room they had previously stayed in. Stanton broke the lock on the door and guided John toward an empty chair in the middle of the room. He took a seat as Stanton swept the room for bugs and closed the curtains on the windows. She then pulled out a device that when activated caused interference on equipment that might be used to listen to their conversation. Stanton pulled a nearby chair closer to Reese and sat down.

"Did you know Snow was going to kill her?" Reese asked. His brain had slowly started to work again about half way to their current location. "No," Stanton replied. John stared hard at her face trying to determine if she was lying to him. "By the time I found out what Snow was planning, it was too late," Stanton continued. "Why did Snow do this? Jessica wasn't a threat. We were going to leave the U.S. and live out our lives together," Reese said. "Snow is a sick man John. He hasn't been part of the real world in a very long time and he doesn't have any connections to it anymore. Snow made sure that anything or anyone that could be used as his weakness was eliminated long ago. The agency uses him in their less savory operations because they know he will blindly follow any order if he believes he's doing it for God and Country. He killed Jessica because he was trying to make you like himself, free." John absorbed Stanton's words. There had been red flags when it came to Snow's behavior on a few operations John had been privy to, but John had chosen to ignore them. Everyone in their line of work had their own motivations and secrets.

Stanton continued, "When you were assigned to work with me you became part of a secret branch of the CIA that only a few people at the agency even know exist. If we were ever caught, all knowledge of us would be disavowed and we would be thrown into the deepest, darkest, black whole they could find from which we would never return. I was lied to when I was recruited for the unit and it wasn't until we were supposed to deliver the package to Snow that I found out what we were really being used for."

2012

Carter awoke to an empty apartment as the sun was starting to shine through her bedroom curtains. She hadn't slept so well in God knows how long. She picked up her cell phone and checked to see if she had any missed calls or text messages. The phone had been quiet all night but she thought she should check it just in case John had tried to get a hold of her and she hadn't heard her phone. When she saw that there were no missed calls or messages she got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to take a shower. It was actually her day off and as much as she would have liked to waste it in bed, she knew she had some errands she should run.

Jos turned on the water and let in run for a few minutes until it was nice and hot. She jumped in the tub and let the hot water run through her hair and over her body. It had been maybe five minutes since she got in the shower before she heard what sounded like her front door opening and closing. "You must be hearing things," Jos said to herself. She knew that Taylor wasn't due back from his trip for another couple of days. It wasn't until she heard the sound of footsteps walking across her bedroom floor that she really became alarmed. Carter decided to leave the water running in the shower and throw on her bathrobe. She was going to try to sneak up on whoever the dumb ass was that had broken into a police officer's apartment. Luckily she had a small handgun under her bathroom sink. A single mom could never be too careful in this city. Carter quickly threw on her robe and grabbed the weapon, quietly closing the cabinet. She opened the bathroom door slowly and peered out trying to see if she could find the perp that had snuck in. When she didn't see anything she stepped out into her bedroom and pointed her gun around the corner. Suddenly, Carter noticed something in her peripheral vision. She turned her head to look and the next thing she knew her gun was knocked from her hand and she was tossed onto her bed. A man with a black ski mask was on top of her and she couldn't regain control. He pushed all of his body weight into her chest making it nearly impossible for her to breathe. The man pulled out a knife and held it to her throat. The cold steel on her skin caused Carter to shiver uncontrollably. "Elias has a message for John," the man said. Carter drew in a sharp breath as the knife cut into her skin.


	7. Chapter 7

Authors Note*

Thanks for your patience everyone. Work has been nuts for me lately so I'm not able to update as quickly as I would like to. I'm looking to wrap this story up in 12 chapters. Hope you enjoy!

The blood began to run down Carter's neck onto her white cotton sheets. She knew she was in real trouble when her attacker mentioned Elias. Elias had tried to take her out several times before and she knew that if she couldn't get this man off of her there was a real chance she would end up in a body bag. Her hand to hand combat training came back to her and in a rush of adrenaline she quickly forced her head into his nose. The attacker cried out in pain and was instantly blinded. Carter seized his momentary blindness and rolled out from under him and onto the floor. She looked around the room rapidly trying to find her gun. The man was beginning to get up from her bed. Carter found the gun in the corner of her bedroom and turned to face her attacker. "I've got a message for Elias too," Carter said before emptying her entire clip into the man's chest. He slumped to the floor and the blood began to pool around him.

Carter's entire body was shaking. Her neck was still bleeding from where the man had cut her. She headed to the bathroom and grabbed a towel to try to stop the flow of blood. Carter caught site of herself in the mirror. The cream colored bathrobe she was wearing was now stained with bright red blood. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes looked wild, as if she were not a human but an animal in that moment. It was a side of herself she hadn't seen since she was in active duty several years earlier. Carter walked back into her bedroom and over to the man on her floor. She used her foot to nudge him before bending down and removing his mask. The man that lay dead on her bedroom floor was none other than Elias's front man Scarface.

Reese's phone awoke him from sleep. He looked at the caller ID and saw the name Carter written across the screen. He smiled to himself and answered the phone. "You miss me already?" Reese asked. "John, I need you to come over" Carter replied. John could tell immediately that something wasn't right. "Are you okay?"John asked with more than an ounce of concern in his voice. "No, I'm not. I need you to come over now. Elias's right hand man showed up at my apartment and now I have a mess on my hands," Carter said. "I'll be right there," John said before hanging up the phone. He quickly threw on the jeans and t-shit he had been wearing the night before and headed out to his motorcycle.

John arrived at Carter's apartment about 20 minutes later. He ran up to her floor and knocked on the door. Carter answered it still in the blood stained bathrobe. John's eyes grew wide and he quickly motioned Carter back inside her apartment. "Jos, what happened? Are you alright?" he asked while frantically searching the exposed parts of her body for injuries. His eyes immediately centered on a large laceration on her neck. "I'll be alright John but that's more than I can say for the guy lying on my bedroom floor," Carter answered. "Tell me what happened," John said. "Elias, that's what happened," Carter replied. John's face filled with anger at the mention of Elias' name. The two of them walked into Carter's bedroom and John saw Scarface lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Carter sat down on her bed stared off into space.

"I told them if they came after you I would put them all in the ground. Elias is going to pay," John said. Carter wasn't listening to him. She kept replaying the events over in her head. Next thing she knew John was sitting next to her on the bed. "Hey…Jos, look at me," he said. Carter gazed at him and tried to pull herself back to reality. John brushed the hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. He inched closer to her and wrapped her in his arms. Her rigid body softened in his embrace. John didn't want to let Carter go, but he knew he had to dispose of Scarface's body. "Jos, I have to take care of this," he said glancing toward Scarface. "I'm going to clean this up and in the meantime you should clean yourself up." John removed the towel from her neck and was relieved to see that her wound had stopped bleeding on its own. Carter rose from the bed and headed to her bathroom without a word. Once John heard the water turn on, he began looking through Carter's kitchen cabinets for cleaning supplies. Luckily he found a pair of bright yellow rubber gloves, a bucket, a rag, and some bleach. He gathered up all the supplies and began to wipe up Scarface's blood.

John searched Scarface's pockets and found a cell phone and wallet. He set aside the wallet and turned his attention to the cell phone. Reese searched the phone for text messages but the history had been cleared. He looked up the last know call and hit redial. "Is it done?" a familiar voice asked. John could feel his rage begin to burn from deep within him as he realized he was speaking to Elias. He remained silent. "Hello John," Elias said. Elias had known it was a possibility that John would interfere with his plans for Detective Carter. "Elias you must have a death wish, sending your man after Carter," John replied. "Am I safe to assume my man is dead?" Elias asked. "You are, but unfortunately I didn't have the pleasure of delivering the death sentence. You underestimated Carter and you sure as hell underestimated me if you thought I'd let you get away with this. There will never be a place secluded enough, safe enough, or remote enough for you to hide. I will find you Elias," John said. "Words wound John but I'm willing to forgive them because I know you're speaking from a place of anger. Anyway, I knew Carter would call on you for help and the whole point of this little operation was to get your attention. I want you and Detective Carter to get Moretti released from prison and handed over to me. I think it's time for a little family reunion and I know you'll do whatever it takes to get the job done," Elias said. "Why would I help you?" John asked. "Let's just say I want to make sure Detective Carter has her own family reunion. Check your text messages," Elias said before disconnecting the line. John pulled the phone away from his ear and saw an incoming picture message. He opened it and saw Carter's son Taylor blindfolded and gagged tied to a chair. The text under the message said "You have 36 hours."

Carter exited the bathroom wearing a pair of old yoga pants and a t-shirt. Her hair was still wet from the shower. John had finished disposing of Scarface's body and looking at her floor now Carter couldn't even tell there had been a body lying there as little as 30 minutes ago. She walked over to John and sat next to him on her bed. "I take it you've done this kind of thing before," she said not really wanting to know the answer. John looked at her a shrugged. "We have another problem," John said. "Elias wants his father Gianni Moretti released from prison in 36 hours and turned over to him." Carter's face had a look of shock on it. "Are you kidding me? John what the hell were you doing talking to Elias?" John could tell Carter didn't want him to get mixed up with Elias but John knew it was already too late. "I found a cell phone on Scarface and I hit redial. Elias answered. I told him I was going to find him and make him pay for what he tried to do to you. He told me that if you didn't get his father released and handed over to him within 36 hours he…" John stopped. He knew when he told Carter that her son Taylor was in danger it could be a deal breaker for them. They had barely just begun to admit their feelings for one another to each other and now Elias was threatening all of that. Elias knew Carter was a weakness of John's and he planned on using it to get what he wanted. John had to tell Carter the truth and let the chips fall where they may. He pulled up the picture message and showed Carter. "Oh my God Taylor! He's got my baby!" Carter practically screamed. She fell to her knees and John rushed to embrace her. "We're going to get him back Jos. I promise you I will do anything I have to do to get him back."


End file.
